Royce Desmond Hart (born 10 February 1948) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the Richmond Football Club in the Victorian Football League (VFL).
Regarded as one of the greatest centre half-forwards to ever play Australian rules football, Hart was known for his trademark of leaping in from the side, and a left foot kick. Hart was an inaugural member of the Australian Football Hall of Fame, and was elevated to Legend status in 2013.
Early days Hart grew up in central Tasmania with an older brother, Lance, and two younger sisters, Gayle and Cheryl. He gravitated toward sports, in particular Australian football, which upset his mother, who thought the game too rough. Hart was educated at Clarence High SchoolCollins, 2006, p. 100 and participated in football and athletics. He played as a rover in the Tasmanian under-15 schoolboys team before his growth spurt, and held a junior high-jumping record for about 20 years.Collins, 2006, p.100 Playing on the ball helped develop his ground skills, but he was able to exert greater presence on the field after his growth spurt.
Hart was invited to Clarence in 1964 to play for the under-17s team. But because their season started late, he went and trained with the under-19s team. He went on to win the best first-year player award, and then won the best and fairest the following season.
These performances caught the attention of Harry Jenkins, the Tasmanian-based recruiting scout for Richmond. Acting on Jenkins' recommendation, club secretary Graeme Richmond flew to the island state to watch Hart in action, but he missed seeing Hart play. Nevertheless, Richmond was prepared to sign Hart sight unseen. Hart's mother warned that he would need suitable clothing to wear to work, which he didn't have. Richmond countered by offering the youngster a suit and six shirts, then posted papers to the Hart household, which were readily signed. At a time when untried players were asking VFL clubs for large signing fees, Richmond knew he had a bargain. Aged 17, Hart crossed Bass Strait determined to develop his precocious talent, which was unusual; most Tasmania players played a number of seasons in the local competition before crossing to Victoria as mature age recruits.
Arrival at Richmond Hart arrived in Melbourne with 20 pounds in his pocket (contrary to some accounts of his life, this money was his own and not provided by Richmond) and initially boarded with Graeme Richmond. He started work in a bank and began a comprehensive weight training regime at Frank Sedgman's gym; at the time of his arrival in Melbourne, Hart weighed only 10 stone 12 pounds (69 kg).Collins, 2006, p. 101
Hart started the 1966 VFL season playing in the Richmond under-19s coached by Ray "Slug" Jordon. During the season, Jordon made the mistake of including an unregistered player for a match. As punishment the VFL stripped the under-19s team of half its premiership points, causing the team to miss the finals.Collins, 2006, p. 102 Hart had been the leading goalkicker for the under-19s when late in the season he was promoted to the reserves and played in the Reserves Grand Final against , on a half forward flank. With just seconds to go, Collingwood led by one point when Hart took a mark about 60 metres out from goal. He promptly put a torpedo punt, his preferred kick at the time, through the goals to give Richmond the lead, and the siren sounded shortly afterward. During the off-season, Hart continued working on his physique and created an air of anticipation with his performances in the practice matches leading into the 1967 season.
1967 – A Dream Debut In the first half of the twentieth century, Richmond had been a powerhouse club with a large supporter base, but the club fell on hard times in the 1950s. A rejuvenation of the club began with a move to the Melbourne Cricket Ground in 1965 and an extensive recruiting program, which included the young Hart.
Hart made his senior VFL debut in the opening round of the 1967 VFL season against at the MCG, playing at full forward. Although he got plenty of the ball in attack, he disappointed with his inaccurate goal-kicking, with three goals and seven behinds.
Subsequently, Hart taught himself to use the drop punt when kicking for a goal, and became one of the best exponents of the kick at a time when many players still favoured flat punts or drop kicks. In Round 4, he kicked an amazing goal, which bounced along the ground for the last thirty metres before going through, to win a match with Carlton. After only four games Hart was selected to play for the Victorian Second team, but a week before the game, Ron Barassi pulled out with injury and Hart was promoted. He booted seven goals playing at full-forward against Western Australia.Collins, 2006, p.102-103 With the Tigers on top of the ladder and heading for their first finals appearance since 1947, Hart was shifted to centre half forward, the position where he would make his name.
The Tigers went into the finals without a single player who had played finals before, which seemed the only chink in the team's armour. However, in the semi-final against Carlton, Hart led the way with a best afield performance and booted six goals. Two weeks later, Richmond played a Grand Final against Geelong considered as one of the classic matches of Australian football. Hart gathered 13 kicks and six handpasses but it was one of his seven marks that remains eternally etched in the memory. In the dying minutes, Hart rose above his opponent to grab the ball from a kick in by Geelong's Roy West and helped keep the momentum going the Tigers' way. In the end, Richmond hung on to win by nine points to end a 24-year premiership drought. Richmond's emphasis on attacking and kicking high scores became the new trend, and within a few years the game would be much more offense-orientated. To cap an extraordinary first year, Hart won the club goalkicking award, was voted recruit of the year and represented Australia in Ireland in the first contact between Australian and Gaelic football.
Controversy, Another Premiership and That Autobiography A let down followed in 1968. The year started badly when Hart was drafted into the army, which the club was able to defer for a year. Player and club performed in fits and starts for most of the year, before the team came roaring home, missing the finals by a whisker. A similar scenario was unfolding the following year, but the players pulled together and Richmond sneaked into the finals in fourth place. They then won all three finals to complete a remarkable turnaround, win the flag comfortably and leave everyone wondering what they might have done had they maintained concentration and made the 1968 finals. Hart had been the star player, winning his first best and fairest award, and he was made All-Australian after the 1969 Adelaide Carnival. This was a remarkable effort as he was based in Adelaide with the Royal Australian Artillery as part of his National Service. During the year, he actually trained with South Australian league club Glenelg and flew to Melbourne for matches. When Glenelg made the SA Grand Final, they asked Hart to play in the match. This move wasn't well received, particularly when it became known that Hart would get $2000 for 100 minutes of football. Hart kicked two goals as Glenelg slipped to a 65-point loss.
In 1970, Hart attracted major attention with the publication of The Royce Hart Story, a ghostwritten autobiography. Very few biographies of Australian football players had been released to that point, and never one by a current player, especially not one by somebody 22 years of age. Hart received universal criticism for naming a team of best players where he was placed at centre half forward. But the team was not a "greatest team ever", rather a team of the best contemporary players that Hart would like to play with.
The book contains some perceptive opinions about the future of Australian football. As an insider who realised many players at the highest level were being poorly compensated for the increasing time commitment required for the ever-improving skill and fitness standards of League football, Hart was one of the most vocal advocates of full-time professionalism; in a somewhat prophetic statement, he suggested the formation of a players’ union, which up to that stage had been non-existent in the football community. Just three years later, the VFL Players' Association was formed.
Hart also wrote about his dedication to making the most of his talents and what it takes to succeed. At times, Hart also reveals the somewhat uncompromising attitude that could often get him offside with people. Notably, he had a number of disagreements with teammate Kevin Sheedy.
After missing the 1970 finals, Richmond finished third in 1971. Now vice-captain, Hart finished second best and fairest, was again leading goalkicker and passed his century of games.
Captaincy and later career Nominated captain to succeed the ageing Roger Dean, in 1972 Hart won the best and fairest, scored a career-high seven goals against South Melbourne and led the team into the finals. Hart was dominant in the lead-up finals, but he was overwhelmed in the Grand Final when Richmond lost a famously high-scoring match to Carlton. Pitted against the man who became his hardest opponent, Bruce Doull, Hart was unable to stop the Tigers suffering a loss that shocked his overconfident club.
An early highlight in 1973 came when Hart captained Victoria against South Australia. Unfortunately, Hart's courageous style now began to catch up with him, and in Round 15 against he tore cartilage in his left knee. He missed the next four matches, doing gym work to strengthen the muscles around his knee.
Hart was back in time for what would be a memorable finals series. In the Qualifying Final defeat to arch-rivals Carlton, Hart kicked five goals and was among Richmond's best players. He was again among the best players in the cut-throat Semi-final against St Kilda, but he had to get his knee drained of fluid the following Monday and continued limping until the Wednesday. Desperate to have him play, the selectors put him on the bench (in this era a replacement could only be used once, similar to the modern-day substitute) for the Preliminary Final against and watched forlornly as the Tigers slipped to a six-goal deficit at half time. Coach Tom Hafey took a big risk by bringing Hart on at this point; Hart's inspirational performance in booting two goals lifted the Tigers to an amazing victory, thus underlining Hart's reputation as one of the truly great leaders in the game. In the 1973 VFL Grand Final, Hart dominated against Carlton, winning 19 possessions, seven marks and kicking three goals, even though his knee had improved only marginally since the previous week.
But the cloud of injury hung constantly over his head. For 1974, Richmond sought to ease his workload by using rookie David Cloke as a second centre half-forward. Hart got through most games, and he played brilliantly in the finals against another top opponent in North Melbourne's David Dench. Richmond easily disposed of the upcoming North in the Grand Final, and Hart held the premiership cup aloft for a second time.
North turned the tables in the 1975 finals series. Once again, injury problems forced Hart to the bench in the preliminary final and he was brought on with his team behind in the third term. Hart immediately goaled, but this time the effort was in vain and Richmond lost. Hart believed it prudent to hand over the captaincy to Francis Bourke. A number of premiership players left the club, and the Tigers faced a rebuilding period.